Glass particle dispensing device



March 27, 1951 RVK. READY GLASS PARTICLE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Nov. 9, 1946 INVENTOR. f g/0% 1 feaQ/y Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLASS PARTICLE DISPENSING DEVICE Ralph K. Ready, Saginaw, Mich.

Application November 9, 1946, Serial No. 799,013

3 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing vehicles or devices, and in particular to vehicles or devices for dispensing finely divided materials, such as glass or plastic particles.

One object of this invention is to provide a dispensing vehicle or device for particles of glass or similar material, such as plastic, particularly for dispensing the tiny light-reflecting glass spheres which are used to designate the center line of a street or highway either by day or by night.

Another object is to provide a dispensing vehicle or device, as set forth in the preceding objects, which will dispense the particles in a band of even thickness and width.

Another object is to provide a dispensing vehicle or device, as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the particles are supplied to the vehicle or device from a tank and are discharged from the device over the edge of a barrier so that they flow over the barrier like water over a dam or waterfall, and thereby are smoothly and evenly distributed upon the street or hi hway.

Another object is to provide a dispensing vehicle or device, as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the distributor or feeder of the device is driven from the wheels upon which the device rolls and controlled by a clutch so that the distribution is accomplished smoothly and evenly regardless of the speed at which the device is moved and can be started or stopped whenever desired and maintained in synchronism with the paint-spraying device with which it is used.

Another object is to provide a dispensing vehicle or device, as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the device is provided with a swinging spout adjacent the outlet thereof so as to guide the particles as they fall downward toward the highway, yet at the same time, provide a spout which will swing out of the way if it encounters obstacles or irregularities in the highway.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a glass particle dispensing vehicle and device according to a preferred form of the invention with certain portions broken away to disclose the internal construction more clearly; and

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 shows a dispensing vehicle, generally designated l0, including as a part thereof an improved dispensing device for dispensing glass particles or the like, generally designated ll, according to a preferred form of the invention. The dispensing vehicle It and device H are particularly well adapted to the depositing of bands of tiny glass bead-like spheres upon the painted band which divides traffic lanes upon a street or highway, these particles being deposited upon a band of Wet paint which has just been sprayed upon the pavement and with which the operation of the present device is synchronized. These tiny glass particles, when illuminated by the vehicle headlights at night, become auto-reflecting and thereby clearly indicate the division between trafic lanes on the highway.

Hitherto, it has been very difiicult to deposit and distribute glass particles upon such a paint band or line, in an even layer and without scattering the particles widely over the pavement. It has also been diflicult to regulate the feeding speed of the particles so that the thickness of the layer can be regulated to suit the speed at which the layer is being deposited. By the present invention, however, the particles are deposited evenly in a band, the thickness of which can be accurately regulated and adjusted to conform to the speed of travel of the device over the highway. The depositing can be started or stopped instantly when desired, and synchronized with the paint spraying device, such as by a clutch which starts and stops both devices simultaneously.

The glass particle dispensing vehicle as includes an angle member 52 of L-sh'aped crosssection to which the dispensing device ii is connected, and having its lower flange l3 secured as by welding to an axle 1 1. Also secured to the flange is as by welding are the ends it of a Y-shaped or bifurcated shaft H5. The shaft its forward end is connected in any conventional manner such as by a ball hitch (not shown) to a truck (not shown) behind which it is towed and which carries a paint spraying device to spray the band upon the roadway and also a tank or reservoir containing the glass particles to be deposited upon the roadway on top of the wet paint. The glass particles flow by gravity to the dispensing device ll through a flexible pipe of rubber or other suitable material as described in greater detail below.

Loosely and rotatably mounted on the outer ends of the axle Ml are the hubs i! of wheels l3 having tires l9 engaging the roadway. The wheel hubs ll engage annular abutments or enlargements 263 on their inner sides and are held in position by discs 2! bolted as at 22 to the ends 3 of the axle it. Any suitable wheel and axle construction may obviously be used, the one shown in Figure 1 being simplified for clearness or" showing.

One or" the Wheel hubs l'l carries a sprocket 23 which is drivingly connected to a sprocket 24 by an endless sprocket chain 25 encircling both sprockets. The sprocket 213 is loosely and rotatably mounted upon the reduced diameter 25 of a shaft 2? and held thereon by a collar 23 pinned or otherwise secured thereto, as at 2s. The hub of the sprocket 243 is provided with axially projecting teeth 33 which are adapted to mesh with corresponding teeth 3! upon a collar 32 forming a part of a crown clutch 33. The collar 32 is keyed or splined as at 3 to the shaft 2'? so as to be slidable axially thereon and is provided with an annular groove 3'5 engaged by inwardly projecting pins 36 (Figure 2) upon the ends of a yoke portion 3? upon the outer end of a shifting lever 38. The latter is pivotaliy mounted upon a pivot bolt 39 threaded into an angle bracket it; which in turn is secured as by welding to the vertical flange ii of the angle member H. Ac-

cordingly, by shifting the lever 3b to and fro,

the crown clutch may drivingly connect the sprocket and accordingly the wheels 58 to the shaft 2? or disconnect these elements as desired. The shifting l ver 38 has been illustrated, for simplicity of showing, as a hand lever. In actual practice, however, the lever 38 is shifted by a pneumatic or hydraulic shifter, the action of which is synchronized with the operation of the paint spray gun (not shown). In this manner the feeding of the glass particles is caused to take place only when the paint spray gun is spraying paint, and ceases instantly when spray painting is terminated. In actual practice, also, three glass particle dispensing devices 5 i are custoinarily arranged approximately side by side onthe angle member l2 to correspond with the three paint spray guns commonly used. These three paint guns are employed to paint the three bands commonly used for dividing traffic lanes. Ordinarily, only one or two bands are sprayed at one time, a white band being sprayed to divide traffic lanes on a straight-away portion of the road. In places where the view of the road ahead is restricted or obstructed, however, a colored band is added on one side or the other side of the white band to indicate such places where passing is prohibited, the side on which the colored band is located depending upon the direction of tranic. Since one glass particle dispensing device 3 l suiiiciently illustrates the principles of the invention and simplifies the showing, one only of such devices is shown in the drawing.

Bolted as at 2 .2 to the vertical web (H of the angle member 52 is a bar 53 to which is welded or otherwise secured an approximately cylindrical drum M, the ends of which are closed by disclike end plates (-35 secured therein by fasteners it. The end plates 8,5 are provided with aligned bores 51 in which the opposite ends of the shaft 2'! are journaled. Mounted on the shaft 2'? adjacent the inner walls of the end plates 55 are sealing rings d8 of rubber or rubber-like material for the purpose of excluding pieces of the glass particles from the bearing bores ll. The latter have been shown as plain bearings for purposes of simplification whereas in practice sleeve bearings or anti-friction bearings would be used because of their higher eiiiciency and renewaoility.

Inwardly of the sealing rings ts the shaft 2'. is enlarged as at and is provided with a pair of spaced star-plates 5E3 which serve as spiders to carry elongated approximately rectangular feeding blades 5? extending therebetween and secured thereto as by welding. The upper side of the drum or casing M is provided with an inlet port 52 which has welded to it an inlet pipe 53 which extends inside a flexible pipe E i leading to the tank on the truck (not shown) containing the glass particles to be deposited, the latter being secured thereto by a clamping ring 54a (Figure 2).

Along its rearward end, the drum or casing ts is provided with an elongated outlet port 55 (Figure 2) upon approximately the same horizontal level as the shaft 2?. Extending upward and outward in an inclined direction from the lower edge of the outlet port 55 is a barrier 56, the upper edge '5? of which is above the level of the axis of the shaft 2? so that the barrier 56 serves as a dam over which the glass particles spill in a manner resembling water flowing over a waterfall. The opposite ends of the barrier 56 are connected to the casing at by end portions 58. in order to regulate the thickness of the layer of glass particles deposited upon the highway, and also to regulate the feeding rate thereof, a movable slide 259 of approximately L-shaped crosssection is mounted above the barrier 56 and secured to the casing M. by fasteners Gil extendthrough slots 61 therein. By loosening the fasteners to the slide 59 may be moved up or down so as to widen or narrow the gap between i+ and the edge 5: of the barrier In order to guide the glass particles in their descent to the highway, a movable spout G2 is pivotaliy mounted on the side portions 58 of the barrier 56 by means of pivot screws 63 threaded therein. The spout 62 has open ends and 65, its side walls tapering toward the lower end. 85. Extending forwardly from the forward side wall of the spout 62 is a lug 66 serving as an anchorage for one end of a coil spring 6?, the opposite end of which is anchored to a lug 68 on the lower side of the drum or casing M.

In operation, the dispensing vehicle is connected to the towing truck by any suitable connection, such as a ball hitch on the shaft i5 and the flexible pipe 55 is connected to the tank on the truck which holds the glass particles. These glass particles are tiny spheres resembling beads without holes. Due to their smoothness and roundness, they flow by gravity from the tank down through the pipe 54 into the casing or drum 4d. The operator starts the truck and dispensing vehicle in motion and operates the controls which start the spray gun in operation to spray paint the ribbon or band on the roadway. At the same time, he shifts the lever 38 to engage the crown clutch 33, causing the rotor within the casing i l to rotate on its shaft 2?, which is driven from the hub of the wheel !8 through the sprocket chain 25 and sprockets 23 and 26,.

As the blades 51 rotate around theshaft 2? or, more specifically, its enlarged portion to, the glass particles in the lower part of the casing is are pushed upward through the port 55 (Figure 2) and out through the gap between the end 57 of the barrier 5t and the slide 59. The glass particles spill over the barrier edge i i like water over a waterfall, and because of their smoothness and roundness they do so evenly. The particles drop through the spout 52 and out through its mouth 65, falling upon the band of wet paint which has just been deposited on the roadway by the spray gun located in advance of the dispensing device l I.

If the layer of particles deposited is not satis factory, the operator loosens the screws 58 and moves the slide 59 up or down to Widen or narrow the opening between it and the barrier edge 51. In this manner, the correct quantity of particles to be deposited can be accurately regulated. If the spout 62 strikes an obstacle in the road, it merely swings around its pivot screws 63 to avoid the obstacle, returning to its normal position with its upper forward edge resting against the barrier 56 as a stop (Figure 2) under the urge of the tension spring 61.

When the painting is terminated, the operator likewise shifts the lever 38 to open the crown clutch 33, causing the sprocket 24 to rotate loosely upon the shaft 2! and halting the rotation of the feeding blades 5! When this occurs, th feeding of the glass particles through the spout 62 terminates immediately because the edge 51 of the barrier 56 is above the level of the shaft 21, hence above the center of the drum 44. The blades 5| will also serve as bafiies in their positions of rest, thereby interfering with the flow of the particles upward over the barrier 56. It will also be observed that the upper edge 5! of th barrier 56 is also at the level of the top of the outlet port 55, which still further impedes the flow of the particles when the blades are not rotating.

It will be further observed that the planes of the blades 5| are not radial but lie in positions between the radial and tangential planes. This positioning of the blades 51 still further enhances the pushing of the particles out of the casing 44 and up the barrier 56.

While the operation of the invention has been discussed in connection with the use of glass particles, it will be evident that it may be used likewise for the dispensing of smooth particles of material such as plastic which also have the properties of rolling over each other with a minimum of friction so as to flow like water over the edge of the barrier 56.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A dispensing vehicle for glass particles or the like, comprising a frame structure, ground wheels mounted on said frame structure, a casing connected to said frame structure and having an inlet and an outlet, a shaft journaled in said casing, a rotor on said shaft in said casing having particle feeding blades thereon, an upwardlydirected barrier connected to said outlet and having an overflow edge positioned for overflow of said particles thereover in response to the rotation of said rotor, said barrier having its overflow edge positioned above the level of the axis of rotation of said shaft and mechanism drivingly connected to said rotor to rotate said rotor and its blades in a direction upwardly toward said overflow edge of said barrier.

2. A dispensing device for glass particles or the like, comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a shaft journaled in said casing, a rotor on said shaft in said casing having particle-feeding blades thereon, an upwardly-directed barrier connected to said outlet and having an overflow edge positioned for overflow of said particles thereover in response to the rotation of said rotor, said barrier having its overflow edge positioned above the level of the axis of rotation of said shaft and mechanism drivingly connected to said rotor to rotate said rotor and its blades in a direction upwardly toward said overflow edge of said barrier.

3. A dispensing device for glass particles or the like, comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a shaft journaled in said casing, a rotor on said shaft in said casing having particle-feeding blades thereon, a barrier connected to said outlet and having an overflow edge positioned for overflow of said particles thereover in response to the rotation of said rotor, said barrier being inclined upwardly from said outlet and having its overflow edge positioned above the level of the axis of rotation of said shaft, mechanism drivingly connected to said rotor and arranged to rotate said rotor and its blades in a direction upwardly toward said overflow edge of said barrier, and a gate of approximately L -shaped crosssection mounted on said casing above the overflow edge of said barrier and having an upwardly inclined portion aproximately co-directional with said upwardly inclined barrier and disposed in spaced relationship therewith.

RALPH K. READY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 134,293 Kneisly Dec. 24, 1872 835,810 Collins Nov. 13, 1906 1,029,635 Rose June 18, 1912 1,628,546 Kock May 10, 1927 2,369,983 Rodli et al Feb. 20, 1945 2,430,020 Johnson Nov. 4, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,673 Germany Apr. 14, 1926 

